Health Department Roundup

Mediterranean, Mexican, barbecue, Italian - pretty diverse this week. And not a single hole-in-the-wall Americanized-Chinese restaurant! Just doing our part to combat stereotypes.

We'll start with good news. Gatlin's (1221 W. 19th), which some of us think is pretty good, had only two violations after an inspection Tuesday. Those were bulk food stored in unnamed containers and no test kit or device to measure concentration of sanitation solution. Considering the casual approach that should be taken when smoking various kind of meat, we're pretty impressed with Gatlin's cleanliness.

Mary'z (5825 Richmond), a popular place for Lebanese food and shisha/hookahs, didn't fare quite as well but still had a mostly clean report. The Health Department hit it with four violations: Potentially hazardous/ready-to-eat food not marked with a disposition date (repeat); bulk food not identified by a common name (repeat); food stored in unclean or uncovered containers (repeat); and accumulated dust/dirt/food particles/debris.

Tamales Dona Tere (8331 Beechnut) earned five violations during a routine inspection: accumulated dust/dirt/food particles/debris; no test kit or device to measure concentration of sanitation solution (Jesus, this week's getting extra repetitive); employee toilets not conveniently located/accessible (all right, that's a new one); dirty walls/ceiling; and no manager on duty with proper certification. And speaking of, where does the "tamale lady" who sells her stuff at local bars get the tamales? Are they homemade or resold from an existing shop? If it's the former, is she safe from Health Department scrutiny? These are pressing questions.

Collina's Italian Cafe (502 W. 19th) earned six violations, including ice being dispensed without the proper equipment (corrected on site); dust/dirt/food particles/debris/how is it that health inspectors don't go insane/writing the same things over and over; "Existing equipment: is not in good repair/ is not capable of being maintained in a sanitary condition; is a food-contact surface that is toxic"; and no vent hood over cooking equipment.

Finally, Masy's Tacos (mobile, listed at 3502 Magnum) was the only place to earn a citation this week (no closures, either). The truck got hit with four violations. Three are pretty standard - hand-washing sink(s) not accessible to employees at all times; employee not wearing proper hair restraint; and employees not using suitable utensils to prevent contamination. The fourth is the kicker - not being able to provide proof that a mobile unit has been serviced daily by an approved commissary. Might as well try to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre.